Battle Ground softball completes perfect year

CAMAS — Battle Ground sophomore hurler Rylee Rehbein was dealing through four innings of Saturday’s 4A/3A Greater St. Helens League district championship — striking out six and allowing just two hits — when a sharp comebacker ricocheted off her shin and caromed in front of her. Rehbein casually tossed to first baseman Mallory Meyer for the out before turning toward her dugout and grimacing. She hopped off the field on one foot and took a jog down the third-base line.

Despite the searing pain, there was never a doubt in her mind she was going to finish what she started. The sophomore ended with 10 strikeouts and just three hits allowed in a complete-game shutout to lead the Tigers to an 8-0 win over Mountain View to complete the perfect 16-0 season and win the district crown.

“It was definitely a little bump in the road … and on my shin,” quipped Rehbein, who was still in pain after the victory. “I knew this is the last game of the season and I was going to finish it out.”

Rehbein is one of three regular pitchers for Battle Ground this season. In a 12-2 five-inning victory over Prairie in the semifinals, junior Cady Gruenberg struck out seven. Senior Mallory Meyer was the 2019 4A GSHL pitcher of the year. One standout arm is hard for some teams to find. The talented trio made the Tigers impossible to beat.

Both Gruenberg and Rehbein will return next season as the Tigers return all but four seniors. That leaves soon-to-be graduate Alexis Laizure feeling good about where the program is headed as she departs. Laizure played catcher in the championship game after homering as the third baseman in the semifinal.

“It’s relieving in a way,” Laizure said of the depth of the squad. “I have faith in every single girl that plays on the field, that goes up to bat. It’s comforting but it also makes it just so much fun.”

This year has brought the Tigers together like no other could. They cheered each other on, relished teammates’ success and at the end of Saturday, they got to celebrate a perfect year.

“For us, this was the closest thing we got to state,” Rehbein said. “So we just went all out and it just feels really good to go undefeated.”

Emma Elliott, Candice Adams and Hailey Ferguson hit home runs in the semifinal victory. Elliott and Mallory Meyer added a pair of RBI in the championship game as Battle Ground used a six-run third inning to seal the victory.

Mountain View (8-6) topped Skyview 5-4 to advance to the championship game. The Thunder’s Bri King struck out four and held off a late Storm rally to earn the victory. Waverly Iverson was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI in the performance.

Skyview (9-6) got RBI doubles from Addie MacPherson and Maddi Scull in the defeat. Prairie (6-8) had home runs from Jade Hayslip and Naleigha Stalcup in its semifinal loss.

Championship

BATTLE GROUND 8,
MOUNTAIN VIEW 0

MtnView 000 000 0—0 3 0

Bat.Grnd 006 020 x—8 7 1

Mountain View

Pitching — Bri King 6 IP, 4 K, 4 BB; Highlights — Mary Fogg 1-3; Ruby Gunter 1-2; Camryn Biggs 1-2.

Battle Ground

Pitching — Rylee Rehbein 7 IP, 10 K, 0 BB; Highlights — Alexandra Traffalis 1-3 1R; Rehbein RBI 1R; Emma Elliott 1-3 2RBI 1R; Candice Adams 1-4 RBI 2R; Mallory Meyer 2-3 2RBI 1R; Kelly Monaghan 1-3 RBI 1R; Hailey Ferguson 1-1 RBI 1R SB.

Semifinals

MOUNTAIN VIEW 5, SKYVIEW 4

Mtn.View 011 100 2—5 10 0

Skyview 100 100 2—4 4 4

Mountain View

Pitching — Bri King 7 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 5 BB; Highlights — Mary Fogg 1-2 2R; Emily Stateler 1-4 1R; Lauren Fitzgerald 1-4; Ava Lechner 1-4 RBI; Waverly Iverson 2-3 2B RBI 2R SB; King RBI; Kinsey Martin 2-4 2B; Ruby Gunter 2-3.

Skyview

Pitching — Katie Kutch 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 K, 2 BB; Addie Macpherson 1.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1K, 1 BB; Highlights — Averie Sievers 1-3 1R SB; Kya Jenkins RBI 2R SB; Macpherson 1-3 2B RBI 1R SB; Maddi Scull 1-4 2B 2RBI; Lauren Johnson 1-4.

BATTLE GROUND 12, PRAIRIE 2

Prairie 000 20 —  2 5 0

Bat.Grnd 002 28 —12 14 0

Prairie

Pitching — Jade Hayslip 4.1 IP, 9 R, 11 H, 2 K, 0 BB; Gianna Redman 0.1 IP, 3 R, 3 H; Highlights — Hayslip 1-2 HR RBI 1R; Naleigha Stalcup 2-2 HR RBI 1R; Julieann Lindsey 1-2; Emma Estep 1-2.

Battle Ground

Pitching — Cady Gruenberg 5 IP, 7 K, 0 BB; Highlights — Rylee Rehbein 1-4; Emma Elliott 1-3 HR RBI 2R; Candice Adams 3-4 2B HR 3RBI 2R; Mallory Meyer 1-3 1R; Cady Gruenberg 2-3; Liv Gruenberg 1-2 RBI; Alexis Laizure 1-2 HR 3RBI 1R; Kelly Monaghan 3-3 2B 2RBI 2R 2-SB; Hailey Ferguson 1-3 HR 2RBI 1R; Jenna Crabtree 1R; Alexandra Traffalis 2R.